DOJ Unseals Narcoterrorism and Arms-Trafficking Charges Against 4 CJNG Members Arrested in Czech Republic

The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed charges on August 11, 2026 against four alleged CJNG members arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2026: Edgar Alejandro López Velasco (44), Noé Díaz Jiménez (33), and José Miguel Alvarado Morales (23) — each charged with narcoterrorism conspiracy, providing material support to terrorism, drug importation, and firearms trafficking — plus Leobardo Gaxiola López, alias 'Bado' (63), charged with drug importation conspiracy and firearms trafficking. All four face potential life sentences if convicted; two were extradited to the Middle District of Florida while two remain detained in Europe pending extradition. Prosecutors allege that in February 2026, López and Díaz negotiated the sale of European military-grade weapons — including machine guns, rocket launchers, mortars, and explosive devices — from the Czech Republic to Mexico in exchange for fentanyl and methamphetamine shipments destined for U.S. distribution, intended for use against rival cartels, civilians, and Mexican authorities. The case is linked to a clandestine fentanyl laboratory dismantled in Zapopan, Jalisco on June 12, 2026. U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Gregory W. Kehoe announced the charges.